Tomorrow's Not Such A Mystery
by PlaySetQ
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki is a four-year-old boy that's raised with the reputation of being a trouble marker and the village pariah. Anyone that's had the unfortunate luck to land in his ANBU guard knows different. Naruto Uzumaki is not just a troublemaker, he's a hellion. Funny isn't? That no one told this to Iruka before he adopted him. Gen.
1. Chapter 1: Master Peace

**MAJOR SPOILERS**

 **M** - **A-J-O-R S-P-O-I-L-E-R-S**

 _majorspoilers_

 **M** a **J** o **R S** p **O** i **L** e **R** s

 **m** AJOR **s** POILERS

 _ **You've Been Warned.**_

 **BAD HUMOR AWAITS**

 _Enjoy!_

 **-Q-**

" **I** need to ask you a favour." The Third Hokage starts, he leans his chin on one hand and rubs at his forehead with the other. His winkles are more pronounced than the last time Iruka saw him and his skin paler.

Iruka waits patiently in apprehension. He stands stiff with his hands straight at his sides and his mind rills with possibilities; after all what could Iruka possible do that some other run of the mill chunin couldn't?

"I need to give you a long, possibly life-time long mission. It's S-ranked and something I'd never consider anyone under jounin for. However," The Third pauses and ruffles through a decently sized stack of papers on his desk, putting aside a bundle of them. "This one calls for special abilities that makes someone of your caliber more suitable."

" _This is going to be a form of Karma, isn't?"_ Iruka thinks despairingly to himself. Karma for what, he doesn't know but _someone's_ laughing at him and he bets ten bucks it's Kakashi.

The Third grabs an empty brown paper package and shuffles the bundle in. "This mission is… optional." the sentence is uncharacteristically hesitant. "Admittedly you weren't the first selected for this mission and because the others before declined I got thinking maybe someone more like you would be more open to such a thing." The Hokage smiles nostalgically.

"The mission duration is in truth, only predicted to be eleven years, however depending on the scenarios that arise, that could change at any moment." The Hokage opens the bottom drawer and pulls out a sealed scroll. He sets it firmly on the table.

"The mission is a complicated one; in practically it's only a way to monitor and directly guard the subject however, in reality it encompasses more than that." The Third Hokage holds the package and scroll out to Iruka. "The mission information and your subject's records are all there. I expect your answer in a week's time."

Iruka grasps the mission scroll and package in a daze. An S-class mission? One that could last as long as he lived? What exactly is the Hokage asking him to do? _Optional_? When had anything ever been _optional_ about the Hokage?

Later that night, with the files spread open on his kitchen table Iruka discovers exactly why the mission is optional. It's called thirty-five inches of neon orange and chaos with five failed assassination attempts to his name.

 _Naruto Uzumaki._

"Oh no." Iruka breathes out loud, it's _this_ kid. And suddenly the whole "S-ranked" mission makes a whole lot more sense. He has to say no, it'd be inappropriate, his parents – Iruka glances at the 'Public Offensives' section and it makes him pause, the number is already ranked up to twenty-six, mostly for vandalism.

Iruka pinches his nose as the Hokage's words come back to his mind _. "This one calls for special abilities that makes someone of your caliber more suitable."_

He snorts softly, almost disbelievingly and thinks of the whole fifteen vandalism black marks he has to his own name from when he was child.

Iruka pauses and sips his hot tea soothingly, looking at the Jinchuriki's papers. Despite the twist in gut and the rage that boils there and the pain of losing his parents, there's a small twist in his heart when he's see that number twenty-six… that's eleven pranks more than Iruka on a public scale – and Iruka knows they were probably all larger and more attention seeking than his was.

He stops pretending right then and there that he doesn't recognize that Naruto's being ignored by everyone and he probably uses pranks the same way Iruka did.

For acknowledgement and attention, for anyone to spare a second glance.

Iruka's eyes roam to the profile picture. And he startles himself when he sees a bright, happy smile and blonde, blonde hair and oddly enough, an orange blindfold stretched across his eyes.

He's already a little ashamed that he was expecting something else.

Iruka's reminded of himself as he reads the rest of Naruto's profile.

The attention seeking, the loudness, the no-friends, no-parents, no-sense-of-home (after Iruka lost his parents his house, having miraculously survived, felt more like a home to ghosts than a home for him).

But then he thinks of his parents and the hurt that still festers in his heart and the hell he went through growing up in the aftermath and then he's reminded of exactly what's in Naruto. The Kyuubi, the monster that killed his parents and destroyed his village.

Iruka stares down at 'twenty-six' printed bluntly but precisely and neatly on the paper. And he's reminded that Naruto's the holder of the Kyuubi and not the being itself. He thinks again of the cruel rumors and negative attitude the villagers have towards Naruto.

He finds himself thinking maybe Naruto's just another victim of the Kyuubi.

However, does he really want to let the Kyuubi into his home?

He's stomach rolls with conflict and probably for the first time since his parents' deaths Iruka is at a complete loss about what to do.

"Kami," He swears, his eyes pointed to the sky. "This really is karma."

Iruka's eyes trail to the bottom of the file and he has to close his eyes and slowly open them, blinking a few times and taking a deep breath before looking again.

At the end of the file there's an 'Additional Notes' part, three fourths of it is blacked out – but the part that's not….

Iruka pinches the skin on his elbow to double check he's not sleeping.

'– confirmed _blindness_ in both eyes.'

Suddenly the orange blindfold doesn't seem as silly anymore. Iruka takes a sip of his tea and sits, absolute bewildered, switching his gaze from the number twenty-six to the word 'blind.' Iruka's not impressed at all, he swears.

He eyes his tea cup, then the actual mission scroll (read: thick mission scroll) and then his tea cup again pointedly, "I think I might need to something stronger then this to last me through the night."

-Q-

Naruto Uzumaki is a four-year-old boy that's raised with the reputation of a trouble marker and village pariah.

Anyone that's had the unfortunate luck to land in his ANBU guard knows different.

Naruto Uzumaki is not just a troublemaker.

He's a hellion.

Not of course, that a certain Umino Iruka would know better. Thus is the start of this story.

-Q-

"You accept the mission, then?" There's a toothless smile on the Third's face that makes his wrinkles gave birth to crinkles.

"Yes, Hokage." Iruka confirms firmly, kneeling before the Hokage. There's a determined tilt to his head and a steady look in his eyes.

"Very well then." The Third states, humming in approval and leans back in the comfortable office chair. "Come here at 01200 to pick up you're charge."

Iruka nods, bowing deeply before leaving the office. Once the chunin was out of the office and a good distance away, a single ANBU with lengthily purple hair materializes from the shadows.

"Forgive me for speaking freely, Hokage, but…" She hesitates, waiting for a clear sign form the Hokage that her commentary is not needed. There was none, so she continues. "He's screwed isn't he?"

The Hokage throws his head back lets out a loud, barking laugh. He keeps laughing until he can't, and ends up coughing twice before regaining his composer. An eerie smile plays over his lips. "I think he'll do just fine."

Except that doesn't go exactly as planned, right after the day-care let out, Naruto slipped his ANBU guards.

(You'd think if someone was chasing after a neon-orange blurb, a _blind_ orange blurb, they'd be easy to find, especially if those hunting the blurb were trained ninja professionals.)

But Naruto, Konoha's very own future Hokage (the future's Seventh Hokage, to be exact) out ninja-ed the ninjas.

When Iruka arrived at the assigned time he walked into a scene not many were privy to, the Third giving his orders to the ANBU. Iruka froze by the doorway, over hearing the Hokage commanding a squad of ANBU to find Naruto.

The ANBUs bow and then were gone like a passing shadow. The Third Hokage waves Iruka in and the old man starts stamping the paperwork piled on his desk.

Iruka watches confused. "Hokage, shouldn't you be more worried that Naruto is missing?"

The Third Hokage shakes his head at Iruka and speaks non-pulsed, "He always shows up after he's done harassing the general public."

Said little boy sneezes and almost looses his balance. Naruto discovers that he suddenly has a whole lot more respect for the princesses in stories who have to balance books on top of their heads.

A single red tulip springs from the small flower pot tied to Naruto's head with a sash beneath his chin.

His feet are balanced on a stack of odd, rotting boxes and wood and whatever else the little boy could find to rises him as high as he could go.

Naruto grins and flings out his arms, declaring, "FEAR ME I AM THE DIVINE TREE! I WILL BLOOM MY FLOWER FRUIT AND TAKE OVER THE MOON!"

"Now," Naruto giggles, rubbing his hands diabolically together. "I just gotta wait for night time and the moon to come out and then…" He crackles, "THE FRUIT SHALL BLOOM!"

"What's going to happen after that?" a familiar, deep voice asks and Naruto beams, recognizing it.

"Kaka-sensei!" Naruto exclaims ignoring the annoyed aura that now surrounds the ANBU.

"I'm not you're sensei, kid." The ANBU deadpans, "And I never will be."

Naruto makes an 'I-know-you're-lying-face'. Which, in turn makes Kakashi feel very, very confused.

Naruto huffs before bouncing his head up and down making a pleased expression and stretches his neck up as far it will go. "Bloom flower fruit! Take over the moon!"

"Why?" Kakashi inquires, pausing to take in the sight of Naruto in his orange jumpsuit and blindfold, with an orange flower pot on his head screaming about a "divine tree" and "taking over the moon".

" _Minato-sensei,"_ Kakashi thinks, " _I'm sorry to say the kid you left behind may not be extraordinary in the way you wanted him to be."_

"FOR PEACE!"

"Of course," Kakashi mutters, feeling the very irony of this situation in his bones (even if there's a part of the irony that he feels he's just not getting? It's a very weird feeling). "At least you got _that_ gene." Kakashi shrugged, contemplates whether or not to turn the kid in. Usually, people who inherited the 'world peace' gene ended up okay left alone.

(All six Peins sneezes twice, Tobi and Konan sneeze once and Madara and Yahiko sneeze from beyond in the after life. "No," Was the random collective thought that in unity ran through their heads, "We didn't turn out okay."

Konan looks to Nagato, "Are you having emo thoughts again?" And Nagato stares back, a little offended. He got over his emo stage when he was like, twelve. As if she was a mind reader, Konan objects, "No you didn't. You got worse and went into denial."

While Madara wonders in the afterlife if that was some sort of sign that Tobi had finally hurried the fuck up and gotten all the tailed-beast together, and finally, finally he'd be alive again.)

"…Right." Kakashi says, feeling again – like there was just something he wasn't _getting._ He shakes off the feeling, instead focusing on the chaos of a child Naruto happened to be.

"Naru-chan," Kakashi teases, taunting the younger boy, "It's time to stop pretending to be a tree for world peace and put on some big-boy pants, okay?"

Naruto pouts, shaking his head and the tulip sways side to side following. "Peace is for cool, awesome ninjas!"

Kakashi squints his eyes, "Are you sure the fruit – "

"It's a _flower peace_ fruit." Naruto interrupts and corrects crossing his arms, not impressed at all with Sensei's delusions.

Kakashi's eye twitches, "Are you sure the _flower peace_ fruit is really for peace?" Kakashi gestures to the whole picture that Naruto's making. "It seems a little evil to me."

Naruto's eye brows crinkle together and there's complete silence for a few seconds until the little boy goes to open his mouth and Kakashi braces himself.

"…Okay. I _guess_ the divine tree could be an evil plot to rule the world made by some black non-human thing." He offers out his arms and Kakashi picks him up, shuffling the kid to his back in a piggyback style. And when Naruto makes no motion to detach the tulip from his head Kakashi shrugs and continues on his way to the Hokage's office.

Kakashi enters through the conveniently opened window, it's a bit more of a tight squeeze now that Naruto's suction cupped to his back like a little leech.

"One orange brat for delivery." Kakashi announces, leaning down to let the kid off and as soon as his hands are free he whips out Icha Icha.

"Pervert." Naruto sniffs, crossing his arms and turning his back to Kakashi.

Kakashi simply raises an eyebrow and nods towards the tulip perched on Naruto's head. "Making fun of other people's quirks when they have too many odd ones of their own is called being a hypocrite, Naru-chan."

"Kaka-sensei," Naruto turns placing a hand comfortingly on Kakashi's leg. "Perverted-ness isn't a quirk – it's an incurable disease."

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched.

The Third Hokage laughs again and at this point Iruka was beginning to think all those wrinkles weren't caused by stress but from laughing. Listening to the horrible hacking and coughing that went on after the fact, Iruka starts to think maybe that's how he'd end up kicking the bucket.

" _At least,"_ Iruka thought, _"He'd go happy."_

"Kakashi," The Third smiled cheekily, "You're dismissed."

Kakashi teleported out of there so fast it was like he actually had somewhere to be (correction – somewhere he's late to, but has to be.)

" _Or,"_ Naruto thought and then snickered, _"Something to protect, like his pride."_

"Naruto," The Hokage addressed sobering up. A serious tone descended the room. "I have some very good new for you today."

Naruto perked up, fidgeting a bit and tilting his head to the side and points straight at Iruka.

"Does it have to do with them?" Naruto asks shuffling his feet around and hunching his shoulders up a bit like a defense.

"Yes," The Hokage smiles warmly, so much so that it infects his voice. "Iruka's adopting you."

"Iruka?" Naruto says breathlessly. "Iruka… sensei?" He says hesitantly.

"Yes, Naruto. Iruka-sensei." The Third confirms, a pleased look come upon his face.

It's Iruka turn to become confused, he'd signed up for the teaching position at the academy but he wasn't starting his position until Taki-sensei retired in three mouths (coincidentally it would be Naruto's first year at the Ninja Academy).

"Not a sensei yet." Iruka interjects kindly.

Naruto still seems to be in confounded state at the news, his eyes are covered but Iruka's positive they're wide and his mouth is hanging open. Naruto repeats the information, "Iruka-sensei's adopting me?"

The Third's still smiling and speaks, "Since you talked about him highly I figured it'd be a good match." The Hokage's smile becomes strained, "It seems Iruka can keep up with you."

And before Iruka could ask just what that meant, Naruto slaps both his cheeks up his hands and shakes his head and grins a hundred-watt smile, one so bright it actually radiates light.

"Iruka-sensei is one of my most precious people!" Naruto yells, declaring it to the world and throws his hands up.

A strike of warmth hits Iruka, and more confusion – what could've Iruka done to deserve that title? He really hasn't done anything for Naruto yet, if just acknowledging Naruto's existence made the boy give that much loyalty to a person… well that made Iruka's mission harder and easier at the same time.

Iruka leaves the Hokage's office the guardian of a bouncing four-year-old holding his hand and a satisfied Third left behind.

As Iruka and Naruto walked out of sight, the Third hummed in relief. It's a fact that Hokage has mountains of pressure and responsibilities on their shoulders, being able to trust just one of those responsibilities, a boulder sized one too, to another person is more relaxing than the Third thought it would be. Glancing over to Yodamie's picture, wondering, not for the first time, what just he left behind – what the 'Fourth's Legacy' had to offer. Right now, everything was certainly a mystery.

-Q-

"We're here." Iruka announces for Naruto's convenience. The little boy ambles in and immediately starts touching everything and anything, the walls, the kitchen table, the counter, chairs, and cupboards and the box television set up in the living room on a stand. Naruto in his curiosity gets the sliver wear door open and if Iruka hadn't been watching he wouldn't have caught Naruto's hand before the boy had stuck his hand straight into the thing and Iruka can't count the numbers of way something could go terribly wrong if that had happened (he wasn't a Nara after all).

Naruto pouts and frowns, and tries to tug his wrist free from Iruka's tight grip.

"How about I take you to your room?" Iruka says like a suggestion even if it really wasn't.

Naruto turns to Iruka and grins, distracted by the thought have a having a new room to concern himself with the sliver wear door. Iruka breathes a sign of relief and misses the quick glance Naruto sends back to drawer.

Iruka leads Naruto to the second door on the left wall of his apartment, when he opens the door it creeks and Iruka winces and peeks at the hinges. Rusted.

"I'll have to fix that," Iruka sheepishly comments, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"No!" Naruto protests, patting the door. "I like it! This way I can tell that it's my room."

Iruka nods, and nudges the top of Naruto's shoulder with his hand, "Alright. Why don't you get familiar with your room while I start dinner?"

Naruto enthusiastically nods and takes off, eager to get comfortable with his new living arrangement and Iruka leaves to start dinner.

Naruto searches for the bed and once he finds it catapults himself onto it making the comforters puff up around him.

He smiles to himself and tries to soak in the overwhelming feeling of home, because he actually kind of has one of those now. It's a feeling so large Naruto thinks it barely can fit inside his body and that, maybe this pleasant, alien feeling may cause his body to combust.

" _That would be awesome_." Naruto thinks fascinated, " _Awesome, but sort of scary_."

He slowly reaches up and slips his hand under his blind fold and carefully touches his eyes.

"Everything's different here." Naruto says under his breath and he remembers the loneliness, the spite and the anger that still lingers and clings to his heart like a sick, ugly disease and then says to himself, "Maybe that isn't a bad thing."

-Q-

It's over breakfast the next day that Iruka brings up the state of his room, "I didn't paint the walls before because it was just an guest room but now that it's yours we could go buy some paint for it."

Naruto lets out a shriek of delight, and without hesitation (and with food still in his mouth) bursts out, "Orange!"

Iruka wondered why he thought anything different and firmly reminds Naruto to mind his manners and to stop slobbering all over the table like a hooligan and to close his mouth when he chews.

*("But Iruka-sensei! I _am_ a hooligan! It's in my blood." Naruto protests and Iruka flicks his noise, "Well, then you should try to be a _polite_ hooligan. Call me Iruka, I'm not your sensei yet."

"Well, you're certainly acting like it." Naruto snipes back.

Iruka raises an eyebrow threateningly, "What did you just say?"

"Of course, Iruka-nii." Naruto corrects and nervously gulps.)

-Q-

It's then two days later, when they're buying the orange paint (neon orange paint because Iruka lost the argument for a rustier gold tone), he realizes that Iruka had never seen Naruto in any other piece of clothing and promptly feels a) like an idiot and b) like smacking himself in the face.

"Naruto," Iruka attentively and quietly asks, not wanting to embarrass the boy (they were in public after all and kids could be the least predictable things on the planet, who knew what Naruto could get upset about?) "Do you have any other clothes to wear?"

Naruto thinks hard, pondering for a moment and then says, "I have my froggy pajamas."

"That's it?" Iruka inquires and feels like a bigger idiot for not noticing, how does a ninja not notice his child only has two pieces of clothing to wear? A ninja absorbed in stupidity, Iruka sneers at himself.

Iruka grabs Naruto's hand tightly.

"Iruka-nii?" Naruto asks curiously.

"Change of plans, we're going clothes shopping."

Calling the shopping trip a disaster is the understatement of the year. The first three stores they go into won't let them shop, closing just as Iruka and Naruto walk in and the last one they went to overpriced their items by a large amount, by the end of it to say Iruka was seething would be the understatement of the _century._

"It's alright," Naruto tries to assure and calm down his guardian, "One day it won't be like this, I'll just have to wait 'till then. My jumpsuits lasted this long, it'll last a few more years."

"No," Iruka says, "Naruto the way they treat you isn't okay. We are getting you at least one new outfit before we leave the market today, even if it's the last thing I ever do." Iruka couldn't legally do anything against the store owners because they didn't "say" anything, so if Iruka did anything "aggressive" it'd be ninja brutality.

Taken back by how passionate Iruka was getting about the subject, Naruto passively nods and lets Iruka steer him to the west side of the market, where the more ninja centered shops were in business.

Iruka marched them both up to a first ninja outfit outlet on the street, the inside was less media centered and bright, most of everything being a darken shade of colour; dark greys, dark reds, dark pinks, dark blues, dark purples, etc. Obliviously, the colours and the sizes of the clothes alluded to the fact that this shop was targeted towards Academy students and ninja families and clans with children.

"Perfect," Iruka mutters, eyeballing the store's content.

"Naruto, what do you want to get?" Iruka poses, turning to the rack of shirts to the right of him and already started to look through them, making sure to check the price tags and the quality – store owners on the west side of town were mostly used to keeping quiet and being cooperative because of their involvement with ninjas. Some of them were retired ninjas themselves.

Iruka hoped they'd be the same with Naruto.

Iruka was saved from picking out anything when Naruto opens his mouth and says, "This," Naruto points at himself, "in every colour available and three more in oranges."

And once again, Iruka wondered why he'd expected anything less.

In total they bought fifteen outfits, four of which were all green toad pajamas because Naruto wouldn't be talked into anything else.

("Iruka-nii," Naruto pouts, "they _have_ to be toads, it ain't good for it be anything else."

"It isn't," Iruka corrects, and Naruto gives him this look and Iruka, finally, _finally_ , finds four pairs of toad pajamas all a size too big for Naruto. However, they were toad pajamas so they'll have to do.

"Here!" Iruka exclaims and presents, "four toad pajamas."

"You promise?" Naruto scrunches up his face at the pieces of clothing that he can't see.

"I promise." Iruka reassures, and the bright, happy, smile Naruto gives him almost makes up for the two hours it took to find them.)

The other eleven sets were Naruto's orange jumpsuit in dark red, dark grey, black, golden yellow, dark purple, dark blue, dark green, and hot pink (because when Naruto said he wanted every colour, Naruto meant he wanted _every_ colour they had, regardless of stupid gender stereotypes). And of course, the three duplicates he was promised.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you soooo much Iruka-nii!" Naruto yells, leaping on Iruka and hugging him tight.

Iruka affectionately pats Naruto's head. "Don't worry about it." Iruka says in return.

"But Iruka-nii," Naruto stresses, and babbles, "You don't understand, nobody's never ever bought me anything like this – the old man bought me ramen sometimes and I _love_ that but nothing like this ever has happened to me and _thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouIruka-nii!_ You're the _best!_ "

Iruka's eyes soften and he gently but tightly hugs Naruto back. "Yeah," Iruka agrees, rubbing circles on Naruto's back, waiting for whenever the little boy wanted to let go and if he didn't ever want to let go, Iruka found himself not minding. "Things are going to be different."

-Q-

Naruto's blindness isn't really a big issue, not that being blind is _an_ issue. Not at all, but it's more of the fact that Naruto acts like his blindness doesn't even exist that's the issue.

If someone is blind, they lose one of their senses and have to condensate for it. The newest and most popular way to do that in Konoha is a walking stick – Naruto doesn't have one of those.

Sometimes, Iruka finds himself being surprised when he's reminded of the fact that, yes, indeed, Naruto is blind.

And to be honest, it takes another week of taking care of Naruto to realize that somehow, someway Naruto doesn't need to see to know what's going around him.

They're in the market again when the realization happens, Iruka lets go of Naruto's hand for one second to pay their ramen bill – and thank Kami the Hokage is paying him biweekly to take care of Naruto or Iruka would probably be broker than a leprechaun after someone steals their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Naruto wonders out into the busy street and a civilian loses control of their cart and it goes spinning down the gravel street.

"Hey!" The good intending civilian screams out, "Look out!"

Now it could be attested to the fact the civilian called out and the sound of all the people scrambling out of the way that Naruto smartly followed suit. But that doesn't explain the way he dodges and maneuvers in between them, as if he can see them.

After the whole incident and Iruka scolding Naruto for wondering away. They continue back down the street back home and a child working at a restaurant throws a garbage bag out into the street accidentally (and Iruka knows it was an accident by the genuine apology they got afterwards and more importantly, the boy's age – he looks just about seven maybe eight, too young to really pick up on the dislike for the Nine-tails (Naruto)), right at them, Iruka's quickly pulls Naruto forward only to find that Naruto was already there. Like he'd knew the garbage bag was coming, which even if he could hear it being thrown his reaction should've been delayed because Iruka only moved a few second after the fact and Naruto was already in front of him – which meant Naruto not only somehow sensed what was happened but could tell what was going to happen and Iruka was baffled.

However, instead of asking. All Iruka said was, "You've got good reflexes." And notes to himself to bring it up with the Hokage.

Naruto puffs his chest up in pride, "Good reflexes make a good ninja."

Iruka ruffles Naruto's spiky hair and hums in agreement, all the while making another mental note to bring that messy can of worms up with the Hokage.

-Q-

"Hokage, are you sure Naruto can become a ninja?" Iruka asks, a frown to his lips and his eyes are glinted with concern.

The Third raises an eyebrow, "Is that doubt I'm hearing Iruka?"

Iruka flicks his glaze downward guiltily – Naruto would be absolutely heart broken if he thought Iruka didn't believe in him. "Just worried, sir." Iruka defends himself and clarifies, "Blindness is something that usually ends a shinobi's career not start it, Hokage… it is really wise for Naruto to become a ninja?"

The Hokage looks Iruka dead in the eye and a shiver sparks down his spine.

"But Naruto isn't just a blind child that wants to be a ninja, if that was the case Naruto wouldn't be considered for the Ninja Academy but would instead have to apply for a **private junior apprenticeship, Iruka, surely you've notice something different regarding him?" The Third points out, leaning his chin on his hand.

"To be honest, Hokage, I would like to talk you about that too..." Iruka adds, his tone not hiding how puzzled he was. "A couple days ago Naruto did this thing where he seemed to be able to tell where an incoming object was coming from and where it was going to land, which was _on_ him and was able to move out of the way before I did."

The Third nods, and a pleased smile comes over his face. "I was waiting for you to come to me about this."

Iruka's eyebrows crinkle up. More confused, and lately with Naruto, being confused is all he's been feeling.

"You remember Naruto's file and how most of it was blacked out, yes?" The Third poses, "It wasn't just the… well, the you-know-what, that was blacked out in that file. Naruto's ancestors were exceptional sensor type ninjas and with Naruto being born blind…" The Third leads on and Iruka immediately picks up on the train of thought.

"Naruto's developed an extremely high chakra sensor ability to counteract his blindness? An ability high enough to sense the chakra in garage? Hokage, for Naruto to be able to sense that little amount of chakra that's… _that's crazy_."

Everything is made out of chakra. In _theory_ it's possible for great sensor type ninja to sense the chakra of everything, however that's never actually happens. Most of the time sensor type ninja can only sense ninjas and civilians because in humans the chakra is the most concentrated. In objects and other living organisms, the chakra is dispersed, making them hard to sense (summons, and animals that work close to ninja are exceptions because they also train their charka). That's why the more powerful the ninja, the stronger and more recognizably their chakra is.

The Third leans forward in his chair and rests his elbows on his desk, "I firmly believe Naruto can _see_ more than any of us ever will, don't you think Iruka?"

The Third, praised for being the wisest of the Hokage, the "professor" was hitting more than one bull's eye on the target with his hypothesis, not that he'd ever find out.

In end, Naruto had decided people thought he's crazy enough, without having to add another lose screw to the pile he's already was presenting.

-Q-

A month passes and Naruto hasn't been the cause of any public panic. The Military Police weren't holding their breath. Naruto's gone through dry spells before and the longer Naruto goes without causing chaos the more nervous most become.

Like this is part of his plan _._ Not only the Police Force but other civilians and ninjas Naruto's pranked in the past are becoming more twitchy and overall paranoid.

 _When will the blonde devil strike again?_

An ANBU making rounds, one with horrible, grey hair that his classmate's envied because it made him look more "mature" when they were twelve and now, his comrades tease him about how it makes him look like an old man. Eyes the sky and then lacklusterly stares at down at the high-stung people in the street and says, like a blessing under his breath.

"Not today."

Instead, said blonde haired boy was practicing basic maths under Iruka, confined to an apartment and pouting about at every turn.

The citizens of Konoha all felt they were dodging the edge of a blade just by an inch – that inch being Iruka.

-Q-

The next day the same ANBU was balancing on the wall surrounding the south side of Konoha and looks to the village.

He huffs out a relieved breath, "Not today." He mutters, his eyes narrow.

Naruto, this time was busy chasing a spooked cat around Iruka's apartment – in truth it was the neighbour's cat and Iruka was supposed to take care of it but Iruka had to go to bank for a little bit to deal with "adult stuff," therefore Naruto was left taking care of a cat who hates his guts.

When Iruka gets back he makes Naruto clean up the trashed apartment then makes him do extra math work, forcing him to spend his whole day indoors again.

Therefore – Konoha is spared for another day.

-Q-

Two days go by and of those two days, the same ANBU blesses Konoha with the message, "Not today."

At this point most of Konoha has fallen into a state of relaxation, some forgetting Naruto existed.

Today, Naruto was given a bit of an unscripted history lesson about the Hokages and their specialities. When they got to the Fourth Hokage, Naruto's ears perked up paying more attention to Iruka then he already was somehow. Though, Iruka doesn't understand how that's possible because, really, this is most Iruka's ever seen Naruto engaged in something factual, ever.

"Can I learn do that?" Naruto excitedly asks, his eyes lighting up.

"Learn what?" Iruka asks, too surprised at Naruto's question to lecture him on manners and how interrupting someone isn't polite at all.

"Learn seals." Naruto blinks at Iruka like _Iruka_ was the one that had a tendency not to listen.

"Well," Iruka considers, pondering and hesitating for only a few seconds, "I suppose, it'll be hard though." He finally says.

And suddenly, the whole of Konoha had a sensed, that somewhere, somehow, they just inevitably doomed.

Simultaneously, every person in Konoha remembered a name –

 _Uzumaki Naruto._

-Q-

The next day the grey haired ANBU stood on top of the Fourth Hokage's head and lifted his arms up high and spread them open wide and proclaims poetically, "We're fucked."

Naruto slurps up a wad of noodles, soup spatters on his chin and dips down, hastily Naruto pats his sleeve against his chin – his hot pink sleeve, because today was _the_ day and he had to look his best. Naruto could feel it in his bones.

Iruka frowns and hands Naruto a napkin pointedly, he places a good bundle of them beside Naruto's ramen bowl stack.

Naruto grins up at Iruka with noodle bits in between his teeth, making the chunin cringe.

"Naruto, are you going to be full soon?" Iruka asks exasperated, he eyes the tower of ramen bowls and whispers an apology under his breath to his wallet.

"Nope!" Naruto declares, his cheeks full with ramen like a chipmunk with nuts. "I only get to eat ramen once a month, I gotta make it last!"

Iruka can hear his wallet taking its last personified breath, the last pulse of it's fictional heartbeat and dying. He mourns the lost. When he tunes back into reality he realizes Naruto had been talking, trying to catch up Iruka pays keen attention to the boy's ramblings.

"… beside Iruka-nii, I want to learn how to be as good as dad as soon as I can! He's really the best, y'know? That's why I want to become Hokage too! Believe it!"

Iruka's mind blanked, "Naruto… what did you just say?"

Naruto's pouts, sticking out his lip over exaggeratedly. "Iruka-nii were you not listening? The last thing I said was believe it!"

"No," Iruka waves a hand, motioning backwards, "before that?"

"I want to be become Hokage…?"

"No, no not that," Iruka dismisses, tugging a hand through the end of his pony tail in mild irritation "before that!"

"Oh! You mean when I said that the Fourth's Hokage the best?" Naruto suggests, still eating away at his ramen and Iruka too busy trying to get Naruto to answer him to reprimand him.

"The thing before that." Iruka says, moving his chop sticks to sit on top of his own finished ramen bowl (only one ramen bowl).

"That I want to be as good as the Fourth Hokage!" Naruto puffs up his chest, and points a finger at himself. Iruka exhales a sharp breath and slumps on his stool, he thought Naruto had said…

"The Fourth Hokage is my old man after all!" Naruto yells out, pride was dripping from the statement and every single person in the ramen joint turned to look, all equally surprised and shocked at the emission.

Iruka choked.

First there was denial, but as the seconds ticked on, and the colouring of Naruto and the Fourth were compared… people got thinking.

"No freakin' way." A teenage boy who appeared about seventeen gaps, the first to speak out of the silenced ramen shop. "You _do_ look exactly like a mini-yellow flash!"

Iruka prayed for mercy before passing out.

Naruto's smile was blinding and he affectionately pats his hot pink jumpsuit, crackling under his breath. Today was the day, indeed.

Promptly, chaos occurred.

In less than an hour Konoha was a mess of rumors and conspiracy theories. A picture of the Fourth when he was twelve and Naruto as he is currently was glued to a page and photocopied. The page was then put up all over town.

Some had taken to calling Naruto "Noble Blood" and "Konoha's Heir."

It was an actually nightmare for the Military Police and the ANBU, both ordered to do emergency damage control because this was supposed to be a _S-ranked secret damn it!_ What made it a night terror was that the ANBU and the Military Police don't get along, period. And usually that works quite fine but now, now that the little Kyuubi brat let the cat out the bag they had orders ( _the same orders_ ) and essentially had to work together to some how to fix this security problem.

It takes about two hours for the two groups to realize that they can't really threaten anyone who talks about the fact, despite that tactic usually working there are too many (all of Konoha) discussing the news because even if they get one person to shut up about it, three more people will come along talking about it. The process was an endless cycle that was, frankly, going nowhere.

It takes them another half an hour to come up with suitable solution. The suggestion comes when one of the Uchiha police offers walks by a group of civilian children playing 'telephone'.

After all, if a rumor started this whole mess it could end it, right? Fighting fire with fire.

At the end of the day, the 'Naruto's father is the Fourth Hokage' rumor was buried six feet under a ton of other crazy and ridicules ideas the ANBU and Police took to spreading throughout the day.

Personally, Naruto liked the one about him arriving from another planet the best – the part about him falling from the night sky like a falling star into the forests of the Land of Fire was the part he added himself.

It took a week and half after the fact, before anyone came to the realization Naruto (on purpose or not, though at this point could you really be able to tell?) manipulated the Uchiha Police Force and the ANBU to aid in his prank.

Uchiha Fugaku firmly smackes himself in the face with the palm of hand and wonders in a sort of hilarity if Naruto would grow up to be the most feared ninja, not because of any traditional reason (not power, not wisdom, not because of a sense of duty) but because you never really could tell what sort of bullshit he was gong to pull. And what of that bullshit was going to work. The truth of the matter is Naruto's basically Russian roulette on steroids.

Throughout the next two months Naruto took the reactions of Konoha's residents in stride.

Some called him the Alien Ruler that Came from The Moon and bowed when he walked past.

Others threw rotten fruit calling him Devil Child but really, what else was new?

By the time Naruto was entering the Ninja Academy (three months after the incident) the rumors and such had calmed down and passed over.

In the end, it was Naruto's longest lasting prank, his masterpiece.

Everyone else considered it a dark time of uncertainty and absolute mayhem.

Naruto considered it a job well done.

 **-Q-  
A**u **t** h **o** r **'** s **N** o **t** e **:**

 **Hey guys! Thanks for reading and stuff, I literally poured a little of my heart into this so it'd mean the world if you left some** **feedback!**

 _Footnotes:_

 _*So this line is too familiar to be comfortable for me, and I really don't know if I'm being paranoid or not – I'm pretty sure it's an original piece of dialogue and I didn't steal from another fanfic, but I'm only 89% sure. If you recognize it, please tell me the name of the fic and preferably the chapter it appears in a review so I can credit or remove (depending on similarity of the line) then again I'm 89%_ I _made it up._

 _I've been having strange déjà vu lately so it could be that acting up._

 _**Private junior apprentice is something a child with something physically holding them back from entering the academy can apply to (e.g. blindness, a child doesn't have a right arm, or hand, etc.) If a child passes the initial test, they get paired up with two teachers that work one on one with them, training the child up to genin level so if the pass the final exam they can join the others of their year and be put on a three men team. The program however is very strict and has a lower success rate than the Academy (only about 22% of children who entered the program pass) but those who do pass usually end up being excellent ninja. This program is only applied to children with physical needs (Lee's chakra thing therefore doesn't count, because it's not "physical")._


	2. Chapter 2: Bribery

-Q-

On the first official day of Naruto's Ninja Academy experience, Iruka walked Naruto down to the building, holding his hand the whole way. Naruto doesn't think he's ever appreciated anything more. Iruka's hand is large, warm and reassuring and although there's no reason for Naruto to be more of a ball of nervousness than he is a bouncing ball excitement (which, either would run Iruka's nerves. Naruto loud and obnoxious when he's excited and when he's nervous). Naruto find himself dealing with a tight squeezing feeling in his chest and fluttering in his stomach.

After he was adopted by Iruka-nii he hasn't interacted with any kids his age since. And before that, interaction with them wasn't anything that pleasant.

Seeing the natural destress his ward was going through Iruka tightly squeezes Naruto hands and smiles confidently, "You're going to be fine." Iruka finds himself saying.

The belief in Iruka-nii's voice does wonders to ease the pressure on Naruto's chest and in stomach.

Naruto nods and beams up at Iruka, who smiles back in return.

Iruka drops Naruto off at his assigned classroom with a comforting pat to the head and a wave goodbye. Iruka walks to the classroom he's starting his teaching career in (so Naruto can identify which classroom Iruka is working in) and informs Naruto that if he has any serious problems at all that he can come and find Iruka.

Naruto nods and speeds off on his own. There's a good ten minutes left before class starts and Naruto doesn't exactly know what to do with himself so he heads straight his classroom.

Their sensei is already preparing an syllabus presentation and half of the seats are already filled with other nervous and fidgeting kids.

Their sensei feels bright and excited, their charka is a nice, welcoming yellow. It's mesmerising and reminds Naruto of Iruka-nii's own charka; a gentle but stark pale blue.

Feeling a little intimidated and more than a little out of place, Naruto maneuvers himself through the seats of children searching for the most inviting charka of the bunch. He concentrates really hard, making sure not to hit the edge of a desk and embarrass himself.

 _There!_ In the back corner, a person with a comfortable, kind feel to their charka sits. Naruto pauses for a moment as he assesses the other charka of the person sitting next to the kind person, their charka is off putting and when he goes deeper, has a lazy aura to it.

Grinning from ear to ear, Naruto jumps over to the open seat.

He was about to introduce himself when a rare flame of nervousness blooms in his chest and Naruto abruptly plops down shyly without saying anything.

The only protest to him taking the seat is in the form of "Troublesome," from the off putting charka and the rustling of clothes as the other (a boy, his voice revealed he was a boy) lays his head down and falls asleep.

Naruto turns his attention to the kind charka that attracted him here in the first place and just as he was building up the confidence to introduce himself and the teacher (a woman, Riko-sensei, as she introduced herself) called for them to quiet and started the presentation.

Riko-sensei took the whole first half the day to explain the Academy curriculum and take questions. Most of it Naruto already knew because of Iruka-nii, being a teacher himself and receiving the same informational packet, spent most of the pervious week to review and memorized the whole thing and his teaching plans for the first week.

Which, of course meant that Iruka-nii quizzed Naruto on a lot of the basics and their daily tutoring sessions started to be more structured and organized. To be honest, Naruto felt a little like a guinea pig but didn't mind it so much when near the end Iruka had found a good balance between "play," exercises and physical actives and "work," lectures and paperwork.

And since he knew most of the information Riko-sensei was spitting off about, Naruto found himself zoning out and thinking about the lunch Iruka had prepared for Naruto that morning and found myself drooling.

Unsurprising Naruto was able to entertain himself enough with the thought of food that he spent the whole two hours daydreaming about just that. Basically, missing the whole lecture and only zoned back in when he heard the loud, buzzing of students and Riko-sensei yelling over top of them about meeting at training ground A for afternoon exercises after break.

Naruto shakes his head a little and slaps his cheeks to wake himself up.

Lunch was eaten outside and Naruto found himself feeling very, very intimidated. There class was a big one with thirty-two students, and apparently, everyone already had friends? Naruto turns from left to right and in a circle sensing charka grouping together.

Abruptly, Naruto realized that he really didn't know how to make friends with children his own age, or really in general. He sulks for a moment, before perking up and shagging his shoulders. When has having no friends ever stopped him before? Plastering a smile on his smile on his face Naruto moved to the old swing, sitting down and opening his lunch, a wave of warmth went through him.

And that smile suddenly felt more real and Naruto started, probably for the first time today to feel like himself. So, what if he didn't make friends right away? Naruto hadn't met Iruka-nii for the first couple years of his life and then bam! There he was. Reassured, Naruto picks up the first bite. He'll make friends, believe it! Even if it's not today.

Train ground A was the closest training ground to the Academy (train grounds A-G were all reserved for Academy student, any numbered train ground was for certified ninja used only). The training field was wide and long, Naruto could sense ten training posts lined up horizontally at the end of the field.

"Alright!" Riko-sensei shouted, catching everybody's attention. The talking children quieted and turned their attention to their sensei. "Welcome to training ground A, we're going to start off with two laps around the perimeter. It's your first day so there's no need to rush ahead and tire yourself out. Especially since these laps are only a warm up, so jogging is fine. After your done gather back here for some stretching and we'll start."

Naruto was used to this routine too, it's a similar one Iruka had him go through. The laps were relatively easy, although at the end Naruto was feeling a little winded, but he was still better off than most.

After stretching, Riko-sensei started with the basics of the basics about practicing martial arts. Forcing on teaching all the kids how to breath right and how not to injure themselves as best as possible.

Which had Naruto smiling, and vibrating where he stood. Learning ninja stuff was so exciting! (And this was refreshing and new – Iruka-sensei only had him doing laps and stretching, not actually ninja stuff).

At the end of the day, Riko-sensei dismissed everyone. Eager to get home to parents and family, the children make a mad dash for the entrance of the Academy. Brothers and sisters, neighbours and grandparents and parents (if they were done working, which most weren't since the first year academy students get out a little early than the older students) were waiting patiently to take them home.

Naruto went the opposite way, heading back to the Academy to knock on Iruka-sensei's door.

He was waved to sit in one of the open seats in the front of the classroom. A quick inquiry of how his day was, is about all Naruto gets to talk to him about before one of Iruka's students distracting him with an intriguing question about charka and Iruka's forced back to doing his job.

Naruto pouts and swings his legs, sulking just a bit at Iruka's attention being placed somewhere else so fast. It's only a few minutes later when he lightens up again and with nothing else to do, tries to follow the lecture Iruka-nii was giving about the charka system.

Some of it went over he's head but a lot of it, when said and summarised simply Naruto could follow. About three minutes into it, Naruto realized what Iruka was talking about was what Naruto could see when he looked at other people. It was a kind of light bulb moment that perplexed him for five minutes before he was over it. The rest of the lecture was interesting and held his attention for another whole eight minutes before Naruto was bored again. The human charka system could only be so interesting, personally Naruto thought the charka in trees was the most intriguing.

Maybe they'd learn about trees in the future?

Finally, finally, Iruka dismissed everyone. Iruka smiles apologetically at Naruto and offers his hand.

-Q-

Three days pass and Naruto still hasn't made any friends.

A disheartened Naruto roams the streets in a sense of woe. A depressed air surrounds him and Naruto wears a permeant frown.

It makes his whole being twitch and wiggle and scrim in irritation at himself. Uzumaki Naruto is no crybaby! Moping is not a thing Naruto does and if he does it only occurs for a few rare moments. Stuck in this downward limbo is despairing, not even ramen can cheer him up!

Worst of all, Naruto gets the inkling that he's worrying Iruka. Now Iruka-nii has a scary motherly sense installed into him so he nags and frets over Naruto enough on a daily basis when he's perfectly a-okay. Therefore, when Naruto's not feeling very okay…

Well, Naruto's a little grateful Iruka got called in today to do mission assignment desk duty.

The longer Naruto walks the more frustrated he grows, his problem seemed to be never ending and something he can't find a solution to himself.

He briefly thinks about breaking into Kakashi-sensei's apartment and confronting him about the problem and almost turns right before pondering the idea again and writing it off as a bad idea.

Asking Kakashi-sensei about how to make friends probably won't do any good, unfortunately. Perverts really weren't popular now a-days.

But making friends, wasn't that something everyone knew how to do?

Figures, just another thing Naruto isn't good at.

He huffs and slumps his shoulders. Naruto blinks, stopping right in his track and straightens up. He faces palms.

Everyone knows how to make friends! So he'll just ask someone.

Impulsively twisting to right he randomly points a finger, it ends up pointing to a boy that looks Naruto's age. The stranger's skin was a pale shade that rivals the deathly kind and his hair was a pitch black.

"Hey you!" Naruto shouts out, gaining the boy's attention, "How do you make friends?"

Said boy blinks dazed at Naruto. And mutely points to himself as if to ask, _"Are you talking to me?"_

Naruto nods enthusiastically up and down, "Yup!" Naruto confirms lively, wiggling his still pointed finger as if it's proof. "I'm asking you!"

Luckily for Naruto the boy he addressed was not in fact just another civilian who probably would have said something moronic and completely unhelpful like 'just say hi.' No this boy was someone who is training currently in a program for an organization that wasn't supposed to exist – who studied history and politics because that's what he was going to be dealing with on missions in the future.

Ergo, although the boy himself had never had any priority to make friends, he certainly studied the alliances between nationals (friendlies) and knew how they worked.

In a steady-fast voice the boy answers without hesitation, "Bribery."

Naruto takes a step back, out of all the ways to make friends Naruto hadn't excepted something like bribery at all. In end he shrugs his shoulders and thanks the boy before running off. After all who was Naruto to know how friendship worked?

He has things to buy.

-Q **-**

The next day Naruto boldly marches up to his seat. The kind kid and the lazy one seated next to him.

Naruto pulls out a bag of chips and pushes them at the kind kid and then takes out a pillow and gives it to the other one, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" He declares, offering his name as well. "Let's be friends."

The kind one takes the chips without hesitation, "Sure, I'm Choji." Naruto was odd, but he wasn't mean and hadn't insulted Choji before, so he supposes Naruto's okay. Choji really wants to ask about the blind fold Naruto always wears, however decides against it.

"It sounds troublesome, but I suppose since you brought me a pillow it can't be helped." The second grumbles, "I'm Shikamaru."

Naruto positively shines and thinks with affection, " _Bribery._ "

That lunch break Naruto had somewhere to sit, some friends to sit with and it felt better than he imagined it would.

The spot under the huge tree became "their" spot. As in Naruto's and friends' spot. Boring lectures were no longer boring, not when Naruto had Choji to talk-whisper to throughout.

Having friends, Naruto decided, was massively awesome, believe it!

-Q-

Naruto was waiting for Iruka to finish up with his class, yet again, when a person caught his attention. Naruto had to turn away and look back at the person to be able to take in what he was sensing.

"Woah," Naruto said aloud, and none too quietly. Quite obliviously surprised and slightly impressed but mostly curious. "Dude, you're covered in bugs!"

The person turned his way, and spoke in a flat logical tone, "Yes. Why? Because I am of the Aburama clan. We are bug users."

Naruto gapped, watching the charka of the bugs buzz around Shino's own form. "You use _bugs_ to fight? That's so cool!" Naruto gashed, his cheeks flushed.

Startled by the positive reaction Shino says nothing, finding himself in a position of uncertainty.

Naruto grinned in a friendly manner, "Tell me about it?"

Shino nodded, and seated himself stiffly beside Naruto. He takes note of the fact Naruto had a blind fold but was able to respond to visual cues without problem.

It was curious.

The matter was quickly pushed to the back of his mind though as he got distracted talking about bugs.

The next day a new addition was added to the group, Choji and Shikamaru, both being as nice and as laid back respectively had no problem with someone else hanging out with them.

" _What do you know_ ," Naruto thought bemused, " _Non-tangible bribery was thing too_."

-Q-

The next friend Naruto collect… erm… _makes_ … is someone he takes to mentally calling "Stalker" when he gets into thinking about conspiracy theories and "Shadow Friend" when he's chirpy (which, is always) and once or twice "Guardian Moon-Angel" when he was in a wistful mood.

Naruto never quite got over his obsession with the moon to Iruka's irk. Naruto always, always is leaving him confused. If Iruka could asked the all-knowing Sage of Six Paths one question, he'd ask him to explain how Naruto works because after all this time Iruka still doesn't know).

Before this point, Naruto had tried multiple times to talk to this anomy but he invariably gets distracted and either he himself runs off or his Shadow Friend does.

But not today!

Naruto lures his target… eurm… his potential friend, to Training Ground F.

On the way, there Naruto sees a cute little dog but ignores it. He sees a little girl that's in tears and ignores her, sees a tiny flower being smashed by a rock someone had thrown and ignores, he sees a baby bunny trying to get close to the stream and is struggling to get there and ignores it. Naruto winces and feel more and more guilt paltering on his shoulders. He makes sure to count the number of living things he left without help so he can remedy it later.

When he arrives to the clearings, he huffs out a loud breath of relief – four isn't that bad of a number.

Swiftly turning to face his potential friend (coughtargertcoughcough) he fluidly sinks to the dewy ground, kneeling and pulls out a tulip, a red one and presents the plant like it's the Holy Gail.

"Guardian Moon-Angel Goddess," Naruto addresses fondly, "Please, Shadow Friend, come out of the darkness and join me in the light!" Naruto pleas, thrusting the flower into the air, "Accept my token of gratitude for your services, the peACE FLOWER FRUIT!" ( _That-just-might-be-evil_ , however, wisely Naruto made the decision to kept that bit to himself).

Hinata shyly and hesitantly steps into the clearing, she could feel the heat of her cheeks spreading down her neck and to her forehead.

She sees Naruto, kneeled, a flower offered with his head bows and, as expected, feints right then and right there.

Hearing the solid thud Naruto peeks up and blinks unnerved at the passed-out girl.

Naruto stretches the back of head and a cheeky smile spreads over his face, and he says bashfully, "Maybe that was too much?"

Hinata wakes up propped against a thick tree truck with a red tulip tuked behind her ear and a note written on a bit of paper torn off from a ramen bill recipe.

The penmanship was a bit slanted however, Hinata found it to be something to be considered neat (Naruto after all was studying seals and therefore calligraphy).

" _Flower for friend? Come eat lunch with us."_

Hinata's cheek's flame when she realizes that Naruto hadn't written where that was, ergo, meaning he knew she'd been following him around, overwhelmed with embarrassment she feints again.

-Q-

Shikamaru looks at Shino, then at Hinata and then back to Naruto, "This is going to be a habit, isn't it?"

Naruto grins, rice stuck in-between his teeth (Naruto will forever be a messy eater, no matter what Iruka tries. Naruto's eating habits, unlike his grades, refused to be saved) and happily nods.

Shikamaru sighs, "Troublesome."

-Q-

The friendship between Kiba and Naruto was probably the easiest to start.

It went a something like this:

"That's an epic dog dude!" Naruto excitedly buzzed.

"I know right!" Kiba, obliviously, as the affectionate dog owner preened and bragged, "Akarmuiro's the best dog ever, we're going to be the top ninja and dog-nin in the world!"

Akarmuiro barked in agreement.

"Well," Naruto comments, laying his groundwork, "I want to be the best Hokage ever!"

"You wanna be a powerful ninja too?!" Kiba threw his hands up, and points at Naruto's chest, getting pumped up.

"Yeah!" Naruto shouts, jumping in the air.

"I supposed powerful ninja havta' stick together, then." Kiba says honestly.

"Eat lunch with us?"

-Q-

Shikamaru looks at the newcomer, and groans. He covers his eyes with his arm woefully.

Kiba makes a face of offence.

"Ano, I-is something wrong Shikamaru-kun?" Hinata, ever attentive and ever hoping to please, asks in concern.

"There's just so many names I'm going to have to remember, it's…. troublesome." Shikamaru tiredly replies and surprisingly, Kiba laughs and pats Shikamaru on the arm.

"I know, right? If we're all going to be awesome powerful ninja comrades than I'm going to have to be able to remember everyone's scent!" Kiba jollily explains.

Shino perks up, "Powerful ninja?" He questions, this is the first time he's heard of this group goal.

"Why else are you trying to be a ninja if you're not going at with a hundred percent?" Kiba rebuttals, bringing up a very good point. "What's the point of trying to be a ninja and protect people if your not going to try and be the best that you can?"

There's a silence in a group as they consider this, expect for Naruto who's already on the same page as Kiba and beams in support.

Hinata's the first to speak, a determined demeanour to her, "I-I think you're right Kiba. I want to be the best kunoichi I can and protect the village and the Hyuuga." Her fist clench with her decision.

Kiba and Naruto nod in approval.

Choji glances at the three and nods, making his own decision. "I want to be a powerful ninja too!"

"My apologies, Kiba." Shino addresses logically, "I had thought your intelligent level to be lower, I'm finding that my estimation was incorrect, why? Because you just brought up a sound intelligent point. I also will try my best to further myself in my desired career choice."

Too distracted with marveling at all the words that just came out of Shino's mouth, Kiba misses the jab.

"The most powerful ninjas of Konoha in history!" Naruto announces, whole heartedly agreeing, "HERE WE COME WORLD!"

Shikamaru groans louder, he shouldn't have said anything at all.

-Q-

Ino is someone who Naruto didn't know how _he_ didn't know until now, especially since the "Fourth is my Dad," prank he pulled a while back.

Yamanaka Ino was an absolute genius.

Not a typical ninja genius, not a genius of hard work. Yamanaka Ino was a gossip genius. At first when comparing the three, the title 'gossip genius' doesn't seem to holds it weight. However, if you consider how much damage Naruto did with one sentence, well, it becomes apparent how useful connections and the stupid things people say or let slip (especially those) are critical to the ninja world.

It also becomes apparent that in Konoha, Ino basically runs the underground spy commination networks through word of mouth and information. Her home base being her flower shop.

Naruto doesn't think he's ever been more impressed and more appalled he wasn't in on something in his life.

Well, that'll just have to change and he does it just like he does everything else, with bribery.

The flower shop is an average one taking up an average spot on an average street stretch. There's supposedly nothing not-average about it. Naruto, of course, knows better.

He also knows a lot of things he shouldn't.

Both giving him a great advantage against his _targ -_ potential friend!

Naruto makes sure he does it on a day Ino is working, he also makes sure he's dressed fashionably. He wants to make a good impression; he's heard from his own information gathering that Ino's a shopaholic with high standard.

It's oblivious which outfit he goes in.

Dressed in his toad pajamas Naruto approaches the flower shop casually. Swagger in his steps and a confident tone to his hum, he cheerfully bounces up on the tops of his toes and greets Ino with a big smile.

"Hello!" Naruto waves. The scorching glare Ino shoots him and the dark look he gets when she once over his clothes lets him know, clearly, that his clothing choice (no matter how cute Iruka-nii said he looked in them) was a bad a one.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders, after all he couldn't do anything about it now.

"I want to buy a flower." Naruto cuts to the chance.

Snapped out of her 'Fashion Police' mode, although her smile's strained and she's looks in pain, "Of course, though most people do come in here for a bundle usually."

"I can get a whole wad of flowers?" Naruto's eyes bulged and he curiously observed the display of flowers and their charka, he wonders if the flowers are just a pretty visually as they are internally.

Ino nods numbly, and points down at the counter between the two where the prices were listed. When Naruto's attention doesn't shoot straight there, she taps her finger on the counter.

Naruto studied the list intensely and after a few moments of silence says, "Different flowers have different meanings, right?"

Ino blinked, perplexed the boy knew that but didn't know you could buy multiple flowers. (Also, a little confused that he could read the list with the blindfold an all and really the way Naruto's able to do that is through the very, very slight trail of charka in the whole ink). "Yeah, it's called flower language."

"I'd like a small bouquet of flowers that means… uh," Naruto fumbled and searching for the word, clicks his tongue, "Grateful?"

"You don't sound very sure," Ino accuses, "You can get multiple different types of flowers." She informs him crisply and taking pity, suggests, "Why don't you describe the relationship you have with this person?"

The question sounds easy enough until Naruto has to find the words to do it and fumbles with his words again.

Now annoyed, Ino huffs, "Why do I just put something together and you tell me if you like it or not."

Naruto nods and frowns, this was sooo not how he had planned it out in his head.

"Did you hear about that kid who claimed he was the Fourth Hokage's son?" He tries and smirks when he hears Ino pause in her work for a quick second.

"Of course," She says and rolls her eyes, "Everyone has, it old news."

Briefly Naruto wonders how fast new gossip grew old, it probably only took minutes with all the odd and eccesitic people in Konoha.

"Oh," Naruto says hauntingly, "Then you've hear the awful rumors about the pedo-snakeman, that's been going around for a while."

Lie, of course but Ino doesn't know that.

"Really, now?" Ino comments casually continuing her work but slower, making more time for 'small talk'. "I just heard about that from a customer a few days ago, but I'm iffy on the details."

The first part Naruto knows is a lie and the second part is bait, and if Naruto cared about getting information out of Ino his mission would be harder. It's a good thing he doesn't.

"Apparently, he's an evil missing-nin who goes after small children with blood line limits. I heard he's been snatching clan kids for a while now." Naruto informs, half it's the truth or the other half is truth with slander. "I've recently heard he's interested in eye bloodline limits." Naruto laughs nervously while Ino's face pales, "It's kind of terrifying, isn't it?"

Ino nods in agreement, "Very terrifying." She presents him with the bunch of flowers, "Thankful, grateful and appreciation."

Naruto smiles his own thanks and pays the bill, "I probably won't be back here for a while." Naruto slips out, handling the flowers carefully.

"Is there anyway we can keep in touch?" Ino asks, recognizing a good source when she sees one.

"You're in Ninja Academy too? My friends and I always eat lunch under the tree with the old swing, your welcome to join us."

In the following days, Ino joins them for lunch and the Uchiha and Hyuuga clan keep a notably stricter, but understandable, watch on all their youth.

-Q-

"Shikamaru what're you doing over break?" Ino asks, picking at her nail. Obliviously making small talk until Riko-sensei dismissed them. "Anything exciting?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru grumbles, propping himself up. "Sleeping."

Ino lets out a huff of outrage and throws the nearest item she can get her hands on at him, which happened to be a pencil.

"You're so lazy!" She exclaims, rolling her eyes and tapping her foot. "How are you possibly going to be an awesome ninja if all you do is sleep?"

Shikamaru shrugs his shoulders, yawns and rests his head back down on the desk.

"Hey!" Ino cries in a high voice, "Are you ignoring me?" She fumbles with her hands to find something else to hit this dumb boy with and her hand connects with the heavy medical textbook. She lifts up the book and before she can slam it down, _hard_ , on Shikamaru's head, a hand stops her.

"That's bad luck Ino," Naruto warns good heartedly, "What comes around goes around."

She feels her cheek heat from the scorn, and scowls. "What would you know about that?"

"Everything." Naruto replies, hundred percent genuine.

"How?" Ino questions, taken back by the confidence.

"Iruka-nii," Naruto says matter of factly, "He never shuts up about karma and stuff. Especially when it comes to Kakashi-sensei. One time Kakashi-sensei didn't turn in his report for two weeks and Iruka was so mad his whole head swelled red like a tomato!" Naruto laugh, light heartedly.

Ino grins. "Then, what are you doing over break Naruto?"

"Charity." He says, logically, he still had to make up for those four penalizations on his record. Naruto opens his mouth to say something, pauses and then closes it again before saying, "You should help too!"

Ino hesitates at the invitation, is charity work (chores) really what she wants to do with her break?

"Agree and I'll never wear my toad pajamas out in public again." Naruto offers and cheekily smiles.

"Yes." Ino shoots back, those toad pajamas should never be warn in public, it was practically an offense to fashion!

"A-Are you guys planning s-something to do over the break?" Hinata softly asks, playing with her fingers.

"Yeah!" Naruto smiles wide, "We're gonna do charity work, wanna join?"

"Yes," Hinata confirms, a small tiny smile on her lips.

"Charity work?" Choji repeats, having overheard the conversation. "Like what?"

Naruto flaps his hand around, "I dunno, helping old ladies, painting fences and helping Kakashi not get lost on the road of life." Naruto drops his hand, shrugging, "Really just the normal stuff."

"Yo, we could also help out at my family's animal shelter." Kiba suggest, outspokenly already on board.

"Are we all doing it?" Choji voices looking at Ino to Hinata and then to Shino and Shikamaru.

"Yes." Shino agrees, "I'll be assisting."

The five of them turn their gazes to Shikamaru who stares deadpanned back. After a few second he redolently caves in, "Peer pressure," he says as his last line of defence, "it a form of bullying."

Hinata, surprising, laughs. "I-I don't think it counts when were getting you to good things Shikamaru." She smiles sweetly.

"We have to have a name though," Kiba brings up, "If we're going to this group thing. I suggest something epic!"

They all nod and after a few mummers of ideas and those ideas getting shot down, Naruto announces, "I got it! Acatsuke!"

"Acatsuke?" Ino dubiously repeated.

"Acatsuke," Shikamaru spoke, rolling the word on his tongue. "I like it." He says.

"All in favour if Acatsuke?" Naruto intionates.

Four hands went up and a quick second later Ino, rolling her eyes, pops her hand into the air.

"I declare," Naruto declares, "That Acatsuke professional chore conquers! Are now in service!"

-Q-

 **A** u **t** h **o** r' **s** N **o** t **e** :

 **Thank you so much you guys! Every review warmed my heart! Don't hold back with** **feedback!**

Quick Q&A

Romance?: None. This fic's gen alll the way. Unless, like this chapter, it's hinted at for comical purposes.


	3. Chapter 3: Poor Kakashi

-Q-

"Hello ma'am!" Ino waves invitingly to an older looking woman hobbling down the busy street. "Do you have some fence painting to be done? Some lawn mowing?"

The hunched over woman pauses, she was going to continue walking, ignoring the young girl trying to sell her something (this old woman wasn't new to any of the venders' games, no matter the age, the pessimistic woman thought them all to be vulture). She did, however, indeed have some lawn mowing to do and rubbed her lower back in preparation for the ache that was going to be present there later. She wasn't as young as she used to be.

Distracted with her thoughts, the old woman missed the quick merciless smirk appear on Ino's face one moment and it was gone the next. "Well, the Acatsuke can help you there!" She announced.

"The Acatsuke?" The woman skeptically repeated.

"The Acatsuke is a group of Ninja Academy students volunteering to help Konoha citizens with housekeeping, lawn keeping, and everyday needs! For free."

The old woman wasn't fooled and used her winkled face to indicated so. If you wanted anything like that done for you at her age and you didn't have grandchildren (which she didn't) you had to pay for it through D-ranked missions.

Also, the fact that children would voluntary go out of their to help others was ludicrous. Them doing it for free was even more so.

The woman huffs, "Fine." She agrees, still sceptical of this so called "Actsuke," "My fence needs another coat of paint and my lawn needs to be cared for."

Ino grins and claps her hands together. "Perfect! Please fill out this short form and we'll be good to go!" She passes the form and a pen.

-Q-

At the prearranged time, Ino, Kiba, Hinata and Shino all showed up at the old woman's house, it was dainty and aged with character.

Ino, being the one to do the actually business part of their exchanged was the one to greet the woman and assure her once again that yes this free, and yes they will be doing work and only work.

Hinata and Shino quickly got to work painting neat precise strokes on the long wooden fence boarding her small property.

Ino beat Kiba to the lawn mower ("No way am I trusting something like this you to you!") and Kiba ended up shifting out sticks and rocks and other things that could damage the blade of the loan mower.

In the end, it takes Kiba and Ino no time at all to finish up with the grass. The fence however takes another couple of hours, although the time it took sped up a lot when Kiba and Ino joined the other two.

"Where are Naruto and others again?" Kiba brought up, the answered had fled his mind.

"I-I think Naruto and the others are still adverting." Hinata answers and Ino nods in confirmation.

She sticks her tongue out at Kiba and makes a face, "We talked about it before we spilt up this morning, keep up dog brain!"

Akamaru barks in disagreement and Kiba snort at the remark. "As soon as you stop bossing everyone around, fashion police!" He mocks, picking at dry paint on the heal of hand.

Ino sniffs and points her nose in the air. "I can't," She defends, shaking her head. "It's my job."

An hour later the two chores were done and the sun was low in the sky and all four of them were tired and sweaty.

"We're done!" Kiba beams proudly.

The old bitter woman observes her yard with keen eyes. To her disbelief, they actually hadn't done too bad of a job. It wasn't the best but it was free and she wouldn't be spending the next two weeks with a bad back.

She hums and narrows her eyes. Konoha was a ninja village, nothing ever got done for free. "Why did you kids decide to do this?"

"Because of karma." The high collared boy replies, "We believe in doing good does good to ourselves."

" _Ah, self benefit."_ She thought, nodding her head. That makes more sense.

-Q-

The next day her young neighbour came over for muffins and tea. He was a hardworking man whose wife had just delivered triplets. They'd been prepared for the finical strain when the darling girl (very sweet, very gentle, but nonsensical at the same time) had announced she was pregnant.

Three was making it hard to keep up. The man was working all the time and his wife was too busy taking care of the children to attend to their house.

"We can't afford D-ranks," the man explained, "Not right now, but our house is almost falling apart."

"I recently had my fence done and my yard cut for free." The woman points out, "By a group called Actsuke."

"Actsuke?" The man asks curiously.

The old woman does not say that they are a group of people working to better the community for free. She doesn't say they were children in the ninja academy volunteering to do D-ranks for free.

What she does say is this, "They're a cult made of children."

The explanation startles the man so bad he nearly drops and breaks his teacup.

"They're a what?" His eyes bulged.

"But they believe in good things." She amended as if that fixed everything problematic about her pervious statement. (After all what was she supposed to think of when she sees all them dressed up in black robes with red garments underneath?) Self-preservation was a good as any cause. "You should consider them." She suggests, pointing to her fence. "They did a good job and they're polite kids."

-Q-

The next day an exhausted mother with three bundles of joy, somehow all balanced in her arms frantically searched the market place.

"Ma'am?" Choji spoke up catching the mother's attention. "Are you looking for something?"

"Yes," And despite the black bags under her eyes and her messy state she still smiles kindlily at the boy. "I'm look for the Actsuke?"

"Oh," Choji blinks and turns to point at the typed-on piece of paper under the huge sign pronouncing the shop as "The Yamaka Flower Shop," the piece of paper reads in messy scrawl, "AND THE ACTSUKE'S HQ".

"That's us."

She breathes out a sigh of relief, "Thank kami. I need some chores to be done-"

And that's how their business officially started. Through the word of mouth of a bitter old woman.

-Q-

"We've had officially two hundred and twenty costumers!" Naruto shouts in excitement.

"Only two hundred and twenty?" Kiba groans, throwing his hands up in the air. "It feels like its been thousands!"

"Well," Ino zones in the word "officially" "How many unofficial costumers have we've had?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I don't keep track of how many other people help others daily."

Hinata looks up confused, "W-What do you mean Naruto?"

"You guys haven't noticed?" Shikamaru inquires but doesn't expand.

Ino shakes her head no.

"Because we've been helping other people," Shikamaru explains and Ino thinks about a time when he would've just said his catchphrase and wouldn't have explained. She then thinks of herself. How much she's changed. She finds herself liking the New-Ino, the Still-Loud-But-Not-Controlling-Ino, the Helpful-Ino. "They feel like they have to help other people, we've created a social norm where people can help other people and feel good while going good and use this idea of good karma as motivation."

Hinata nods, understanding right away, "W-We've made a positive trend, so now it's not only us helping other people for free."

Choji grins proudly quite liking the warmth he feels in his chest. Helping other people, protecting them – that's what ninajs' did.

Kiba hold out his fist, "Actsuke?"

Naruto grins and bumps his fist to Kiba's, "Actsuke."

Choji smiles and adds his own fist, Ino, Shino and Hinata do the same.

"D-Do you think people will keep helping people now that were going back to school?" Hinata brings up.

"Probably," Shikamaru replies, "We've created a chain effect. So, if nothing stops that motion, then it should keep happening."

-Q-

The thing about all this happening, is that not only did Naruto and his friends help the citizens of Konoha but they helped merchants that weren't originated in Konoha and ones that traveled all over the world.

Another thing about the Actsuke is that the word was close to Akatsuki, and therefore easy enough to confuse.

Around two months after the Actsuke is ended so they all could focus on school; many traveling merchants had made it to other lands or were traveling there.

In which, despite the dangers, many had to go through Rain country to get to where they planned to go.

Which obliviously led to Pein receiving multiple letters about gardening, housekeeping, babysitting, etc.

At first, he wasn't bothered by the problem, hopping that if no one received any reply they'd give up and realise they had the wrong place. Then, he realized that these letters were addressed to Akatsuki and the people would not stop sending in requests.

In the end Pein had to reply to every single letter explaining that no, no they didn't do common house hold chores, you've got the wrong place _we're a terrorist group god damn it!_

"This," He declared looking at the hundreds of letters, "is hell."

He wanted to stop war, by declaring war, not do paper work, thank you very much.

-Q-

The second year of Naruto Ninja Academy experience was different from the first.

He was assigned a new room and a new teacher (not Iruka-nii yet, that's next year) and his classmates were different.

(The night before when Naruto spewed his worries to Iruka about not being in the same class as his friends, Iruka shook his head and dismissed his worries.

"They always put as many as the clan kids as they can together." Iruka explained, as he washed another dish.

"But I'm not a clan kid." Naruto points out logically in confusion.

Iruka looks like he wants to say more but keeps his mouth shut and passes Naruto another dish to dry. "Just trust me, okay?")

Naruto beams when he spots all his friends sitting in the back-right corner together, Ino waves him over and he sends a smile her way. Taking a seat in-between Hinata and Shino. Kiba, Choji and Shikamaru were sitting the behind them and Ino, being the social butterfly she is, sat alone in front of them.

A few minutes before class starts, the seat to Ino's right was still vacant and the one to her left was taken by a girl Ino had wasted no time in becoming friends with.

A girl with pink hair entered their classroom and Ino called her over.

Naruto didn't catch her name because he was too busy listening to his racing heartbeat.

But he knew, she was important.

Before Ino could introduce them, the teacher started.

And if Naruto thought he was going to have a heart attack when he saw the pretty pink haired girl. (Sakura, he learned later), he didn't know what to call what his heart did when a "Uchiha Sasuke" was called for attendance.

That lunch Sakura was officially introduced to the group.

"We have a group goal and group rules." Shino starts, cutting straight to the point, "If you want to be friends with us you have to follow the rules and have to the same goal."

Sakura nervously looks to Ino for help, but the blonde shrugged. "We don't hang out with negative people."

"We only have one rule!" Kiba explains, "Or," He ponders. "Maybe a few! But they all follow the same pattern! Be helpful! That means we help people in need, people who need or want help. We just generally try to be awesome people!"

"Our group goal is to be awesome powerful ninja! But all have different dreams!" Kiba beams, smiling confidently.

"I-I want to protect the Hyuuga and serve my country." Hinata interjects, smiling encouragingly at Sakura.

"I want to be Hokage." Naruto states, putting his hands on his hips and puffs out his chest.

"We all want to be the best at whatever type of ninja we want to become." Shikamaru simply sums up for Sakura.

"What do you want to be Sakura?" Choji politely asks.

"I..." Sakura looks to the tips of her toes, "I don't know…"

"That's okay!" Naruto says. "You heard our group rules, right? We'll help you find your dream! I heard from Iruka-nii that other teachers say you're super smart."

Sakura blushes and nods, "Okay."

"We should train." Kiba suggests, "We've been busy with the whole Actsuke business and haven't really done anything to get there yet."

"That's correct." Shino confirms.

"How about we meet at training ground C?" Choji purposes, pointing in the field general direction.

They all agreed and raced inside for the other half of the day.

-Q-

Training ground C mirrored all the others, with wooden posts at the end and wide open space, trees surrounding.

"What are we going to do first?" Ino tightens her ponytail, making sure it's secure.

"Stretch." Shino replied, and Kiba nodded.

They created a circle and each one of them led one stretch. After they finished, they decided to slip up into two groups, one group would practice martial arts and the other would do charka exercises (tree walking as suggested by Naruto).

They would do their respective exercises for a half an hour and then switch.

Fifteen minutes into it, Sakura had been able to reach the top of her tree, Ino wasn't far behind, Kiba wasn't as high as Ino but he was close and Naruto was far behind.

"Woah, Sakura." Kiba comments, "You're really good at this!"

The girl beams and Ino huffs, "Hey! I'm almost there."

Kiba makes a face, "But you're not there yet."

Ino rolls her eyes and focuses on her task, she'll get there.

By the end of it, they were all soaked in sweat and tried and hungry – it was dinner time after all

They walk home together splitting off and dropping off people on the way. They all smile and wave goodbye and Naruto opens his apartment door to find dinner waiting for him.

Iruka pats his head and smiles with pride. "I'm so proud of you, Naruto."

And Naruto wipes his eyes and beams up at Iruka. "Me too."

-Q-

Naruto practiced tree walking all the time, not just when they were training. On one night, Naruto was minding his one business, with a kunai in his hand and determination locked in his heart.

"What are you doing?" Someone coolly asks when Naruto was half way up the tree. He loses concertation and falls.

He turns to the person, about to open his mouth when he realizes who it is.

It's Sasuke.

His mouth snapped shut and dumbly mutters out, "Tree walking."

"Yeah," The Uchiha sniffs, "I can see that. I meant, why?"

"It's a charka control exercise." Naruto replied automatically, his heart doing summer salts.

The last thing that Naruto expects comes out of Sasuke's mouth, "Teach me."

"What?" Naruto stares at Sasuke and notices the thin red line of a blush on his cheeks.

"I said teach me."

Naruto was about to milk the interaction for all he could get but then he remembers his groups rules and sighs, he was supposed to be helpful.

"Sure." Naruto says instead. After he was done explaining the exercise, he challenges, "Last one up the tree has to buy the other ramen!"

They spent the rest of the night competing. Naruto and Sasuke reached the tops of their trees almost at the same time so close they couldn't tell who won, they fell asleep against their respective tree trucks only for an anxious Itachi and out-of-his-mind-worried Iruka to find them the next morning.

-Q-

The nine of them were a thing now, they practiced everyday after school together, they did homework together, they had sleepovers together, they had fun together.

They were always together and if one of them was around chances are the others weren't far behind.

The political future in Konoha was looking very friendly (as friendly as politics can be) and civil.

And for a moment, all was good and all was happy.

Until one day Sasuke didn't show up for school.

Rumors were a bound and spiked when school was cancelled fifteen minutes after everyone had arrived.

Anxiety throbbed in his chest.

"You don't think Sasuke's in trouble?" Sakura asks him, concerned.

Naruto doesn't say anything in reply, stuck in his head, staring at the empty seat and feeling very helpless and a heavy sense of loss.

Iruka came to pick Naruto up with a fake smile and tense shoulders and Naruto knew was something was wrong in his very bones, seeing Iruka-nii's stained smile didn't destroy his worries.

"Iruka-nii," Naruto says seriously once they were behind closed doors, "What happened to Sasuke's family?"

Iruka frowned and moved to sat in a chair, "You should probably sit down for this Naruto," Iruka suggests.

That night Naruto sneaks out of bed, out of the apartment and walks himself to Sakura's house first, then Shikamaru's, Hianta's, Choji's, Ino's, Kiba's, and Shino's lastly.

It was supposedly hard to break into a clan compound but, surprisingly the guards were lacking tonight, most being assigned to guard the actual village itself, and the clan heads were busy with politics still, the meeting in the Hokage's office had started last night and had yet to be dismissed.

"You all know what happened to Sasuke, right?" Naruto cheeks, running his eyes over everyone's sullen expressions.

"No," Sakura admits in confusion, "What happened?" She asks carefully reading the mood.

"Sasuke's brother killed his whole clan, expect for Sasuke." Shikamaru bluntly stated and Sakura gasped, covering her mouth in horror. "His whole clan? He's the last Uchiha?"

Shikamaru nods and a thick depressed silence baked in the air.

Naruto speaks first, "Which is why were all here. We're going to see Sasuke, Iruka-nii said he was in the hospital."

"Do you know where in the hospital?" Shikamaru asks, mentally coming up with a plan about how they were going to do this.

Naruto shakes his head no.

Shikamaru doesn't huff out "troublesome" nothing about helping a friend was ever troublesome.

"We'll have to get a good look at the hospital files, we'll need a distraction." Shikamaru thinks aloud.

This commenced the planning.

They made their way towards to Konoha hospital. Kiba entering first and Sakura few minutes later.

Kiba makes his way to the desk and the man sitting there.

"Mister," Kiba started, playing up his age, "I need to go to the bathroom."

The man sitting there smiled, "It's down the hallway to the left."

A few seconds pass and Kiba hasn't moved other than to fidget.

"Um." Kiba tries, looking pleadingly at the man.

"Yes?" The man asks, pausing his typing to pay, his now full attention on Kiba.

"Will you go with me?" Kiba begs, pouting. The man hesitates and doesn't reply.

"I really have to go." Kiba lays on, shuffling his feet.

"Don't you have parents?" He asks, looking around the room.

Kiba shakes his head no. "They're visiting someone." Ninja hospitals had all around visiting hours due to heavily injured patients and ninjas' weird schedules.

"I… could just go right here." Kiba tests and the man reaches out an arm, motioning for Kiba to stop.

" _No_ , no, no." The man says, standing up, "I'll take you the bathroom."

Kiba and the man turn the corner and Sakura sneaks behind the desk, spotting the list of names and their room numbers.

She signals the okay for all the others to come in and takes a sharpie and writes 203 on side of a potted plant and a frowny face.

The others enter and they don't say anything and just follow Sakura's lead to Sasuke's room.

They end up on the second-floor entrance when they run into trouble. Two ninja guards stand stationed at the hallway they need to turn to.

Shikamaru waves them back and they go back a few feet and he points to the AC vent

Using their collective strength, they pried the thing off the wall.

They followed each other in a line, Shikamaru went first, and Sakura went last, making a little tick on the vent with the sharpie she had before loosely closing it. Shikamaru used the vents to tell where they were.

He paused when he found the vent entrance to Sasuke's room. Opening the vent from the inside was easier than it was from the outside and with Ino's help, they could get it open.

They one at a time dropped down into the room were Sasuke was sleeping soundly.

Naruto's heart clinches in his chest, laying against the stark white of the hospital sheets, Sasuke looks dead. The only comforting sight was the rise and fall of his chest. He doesn't look injured at all either.

Naruto shuffles up on one side of Sasuke and Sakura lays on the other (the hospital bed being created to be comfortable for adults of all sizes, so the bed was huge for people their age), Ino rested her head on Sakura's thigh and Hinata curls up at the end of the bed and Choji and Shikamaru pulled up chairs.

Kiba followed a few moments later, and pulled up a chair for himself.

They all kept silent for fear someone would hear them and because of the heavy tension that had surrounding them before was back.

It was apparent they were all thinking the same thing.

Had Itachi not thought to spare his brother, Sasuke wouldn't be here.

It reinforces the idea the must get stronger. A lot stronger. So they don't have to lose anyone else.

An hour later when most of them have drifted off and already sleeping and those who aren't (Naruto and Sakura) are starting to nod off themselves despite trying not to, is when they were discovered.

A nurse who came in to do her rounds and check if everything was okay and normal and nothing had malfunctioned, found Sasuke cuddled up with his friends.

She lets out a loud gasp, waking Naruto and Sakura from their light snoozing.

Sakura looked panickedly at the nurse and Naruto glared, pissed off more than he feared getting in trouble.

"You aren't supposed to be here!" The Nurse furiously whispered. "Sasuke's not allowed visitors. He needs rest."

Naruto simmers in rage, he's irate and tired and spent the whole day scared and anxious about Sasuke, he didn't need to deal with this B.S.

"Sasuke needs rest," Naruto agreed before saying, "But he also just lost everything and everyone he ever loved. He needs to know that he hasn't lost us too."

The nurses face flushes in anger, and she opens her mouth to respond but Naruto beat her to it.

"If you want us out of here, you're going to have to drag us. And I'm sure _that_ will wake Sasuke up."

The nurse huffs and leaves, her heels clicking loudly down the hall.

-Q-

The next day Sasuke wakes up surrounded by warmth and friends and it aches in his chest, as if forcible putting some type of feeling back in, he doesn't feel alright, but he doesn't feel as numb as before.

He becomes uncomfortably aware of all the weight on chest.

He turns his head to the left and his nose meets blonde hair and he turns to right and gets a mouth full of pink hair. His eyes, heavy with sleep shift around the room, identifying each of his friends.

His gaze flicks to the analog clock hung on the wall in front of him and decides it's too early to be up. Sasuke double checks to make sure that everyone is sound asleep before snuggling in tightly between Naruto and Sakura and closing his eyes.

That day Sasuke is released from the hospital with a probation from the ninja academy for two weeks and a warning to rest.

Naruto is furious, "What do they expect you to do? Go live back in your clan compound?"

Sasuke blinks and outwardly doesn't react at all but his stomach turns at the thought of going back to a ghost town.

Naruto takes one look at Sasuke and shakes his head, "No." He points at Sasuke's chest. "You are not going back to your compound, you aren't sleeping there."

Sasuke can't muster up the energy to fight or argue with Naruto like he would've done before… _before_. He just nods instead and lets his friends (because he still has them, their hearts are still beating) guide him to Naruto's apartment.

When they enter the apartment, Iruka goes red faced, ready to lecture Naruto but stops in his tracks when he sees Sasuke.

"Iruka-nii Sasuke's staying here for now on." Naruto informs him and Iruka submissively nods, accepting that this was something Naruto had to do for his friend.

"I'll make lunch for ten, then?" Iruka smiles gently and Naruto beams, mouthing a thank you as the group passes all crowding into Naruto's room.

Naruto with the help of Kiba pushes his single mattress off his bed frame while Hinata and Ino unrolled the sleeping mats Naruto had stashed in his closest. There was just enough for all of them.

Sasuke moved to help Naruto and Kiba push the bed into the mostly empty walk in closet.

Sasuke can't describe how relieved he was when no one stopped him to tell him he couldn't help.

After the bed frame was tuck away and the mats rolled out side by side to create a monstrous sized bed, Iruka called them down for lunch.

After lunch, everyone but Naruto and Sasuke left for a few hours to explain to their parents where they've been and where they were planning to stay for the next week.

Sasuke sat quietly down on the bed they made, ignoring Naruto completely.

"Sasuke, do you… y'know need some alone time?" Naruto carefully asks.

Sasuke ignores him, giving him the cold shoulder. He silently hates the part of himself that wants to reach out for the bright light that's Naruto and the warmth that's friendship. Everyone else leaving had reminding him of what had just transpired, what he'd just lost and why friends make you weak.

"Sasuke." Naruto says oddly serious, but this was a serious thing. "Don't shut everyone out, it makes everything twice as worse and thrice as painful."

"How would you know?" Sasuke harshly bites out, disappointed when Naruto doesn't flinch back.

"Because," Naruto's eyes flash with something Sasuke can't identify, "I've never had anyone who cared about me until Iruka-nii and that was only about a year ago. Before that I had no one and it was horrible. I can't imagine what you're going through, Sasuke." Naruto firmly says, "Don't hurt yourself Sasuke. Don't close yourself of and keep hurting yourself – that only makes you _weak._ "

And there was that cursed word again.

"But that man –"

"Your brother?" Naruto corrects and he feels like someone punches him in the gut when Sasuke flinches. "Your brother who betrayed you? Are you really going to keep doing what he wants you do? Are you really going to trust what he says? Someone who hurt you this bad?"

Sasuke stills with the words and Naruto huffs, "I'll be back in a half an hour, I'm going to chill in the living with Iruka-nii."

-Q-

True to their words, in a few hours everyone arrived back at Naruto's apartment with a suitcase packed with enough stuff to last them the week.

Every night was spent together cuddled up and warm. Everyday they went out and did something, wither that was training, or dog sitting or to a restaurant they did something to get and about. Every breakfast, lunch and dinner was eaten together. Every time they did something they did it together.

When Sasuke woke up screaming from a nightmare, they stuck together and comforted him together. Every time he felt out cased, or doubtful there was someone right there to remind him he wasn't alone. Every time he was scared he just had to take a second to look and there was a reassuring pat to the back, squeeze of the hand or a quick hug.

-Q-

At this point in time, all their other friends had been rounded up by their families and although still visited often weren't there twenty-four seven.

It was three in the morning when Sauske's pained whimpers and shaky movements wake Naruto who firmly but gently woke up his friend with slow jerks of his shoulders. At least Sasuke wasn't screaming, maybe he was finally getting a little better?

Sasuke blinks, a little dizzy.

Seeing how out of it Sasuke is, Naruto slings his friend's arm around his shoulder and shuffles him to the kitchen where he props him up against the base of the couch on the floor.

He warms up a glass of milk using the new microwave Iruka had bought just over a month ago (because it wasn't exactly "new" tech anymore and could now be afforded by normal people, even if it was still a little pricey.) and slices up a fresh, juicy tomato.

Naruto hands the midnight snack off to Sasuke and he drinks the milk automatically and eats the tomato like that too, like he was programmed to.

It's an understatement to say Naruto doesn't like it. However, he doesn't push and waits for Sasuke to finish.

After a few moments of thick silence, where Sasuke doesn't say anything too caught up in his own world (stuck in his own head, in the blood, in the chaos, in the panicky confusion… the numbness) and Naruto taps his foot harshly against the kitchen floor, anxious and worried.

Fed up with the tension Naruto takes a marker form a kitchen drawer and draws a full circle on his palm and then, grasp Sasuke's left hand (jerking him out of his head) and illustrates a crescent shape in the palm. He fills Sasuke's mark in but leaves his own blank.

Staring down at the mark makes some hidden part of Sasuke pulse and ache and he doesn't understand. He looks to Naruto for answers – to why some part of him he didn't know existed feels acknowledged now.

Naruto, however just smiles like he always does. "Don't get revenge for your clan, Sasuke." Naruto directs, intertwining their fingers.

A rage bubble erupts in his chest and he tries to throw Naruto's hand off but the blonde keeps a creepily tight grip.

"What do you know?" Sasuke snaps, and despite the need to lash out, the warmth of what just happened keeps him steady, stable.

"I wasn't done." Naruto says in an act of rare seriousness.

Sasuke sniffs but doesn't object when Naruto opens his mouth again.

"Get justice." Naruto suggests.

Sasuke looks at Naruto wide-eyed, that…. wasn't something he'd ever considered.

-Q-

"This is going to be a form of Karma, isn't?" Kakashi thinks despairingly to himself, before he opens the scroll that reveals who's going to be on his potential genin team this time. Karma for what, he doesn't know (Naruto could probably have a full list and then some made up in five minutes) but someone's laughing at him and he bets ten bucks it's Iruka.

He pain-strikingly opens the scroll and takes one look down at the three printed names and promptly throws himself out the window in a fit of _nope._

Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto.

And thus, Team Seven's story began.

ENDDD

OMAKE:

"While Kakashi is stuck in the hospital recovering, team seven will temporarily be assigned a fourth member." The Fifth states in a voice that offers no argument.

The temporary member appears, and Sasuke's first thought is, "Copycat."

Sakura shrugs, if her master approved he shouldn't be too bad to work with.

And Naruto lifts his hand up offering a high five. "Yo," He says casually, "Bribery, am I right?"

Sai gives a smile.

 **-Q-**

 **Author's Note:**

 **That's the end guys. Thanks for reading! I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it!**


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